46 MODES OF RESEARCH IN GENETICS 



biometry has been arraigned for the views on 

 purely biological topics held by certain individuals. 

 Surely the application of appropriate mathemati- 

 cal methods to aid in the solution of biological 

 problems involves per se the maintenance of no 

 particular theoretical position whatever with 

 regard to the fundamental nature of biological 

 processes or phenomena. 



In the third place, it must be admitted that a 

 good deal of the early work in biometry was of a 

 superficial character, and made no contribution 

 of moment either to biology or to biometric 

 theory or practice. On account of the novelty 

 of the view point an inexhaustible wealth of ma- 

 terial lay ready to the hand of the biometrician. 

 If a knowledge of the statistical facts of variation in 

 organism A was a good thing to have, a similar 

 knowledge for B ought also to be a good thing. 

 Nothing could be simpler than to collect a lot of 

 individuals, measure or count something, and then 

 write a paper setting forth the results of this 

 activity. Too often the enthusiasts who rushed 

 into the new line of work seemed to expect the 

 application of quantitative methods not only to 

 solve problems, but also to furnish problems 

 ready made. 



Biometry has now safely passed that stage in 

 development, which every new line of investiga- 

 tion passes through sooner or later, in which it 

 suffers at the hands of its overzealous friends. It 



